


Deep Within

by Masu_Trout



Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, Bad Ending, Gen, Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-22
Updated: 2011-06-22
Packaged: 2017-10-20 15:46:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/214374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masu_Trout/pseuds/Masu_Trout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose is clever and Rose is strong, but there's no way to prepare when it's an immortal demon you're going up against. Lord English has been among them all along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deep Within

There is no obvious catalyst. One moment Rose is leading John through the ruins of the castle, stepping over carapace bodies and all the while thinking, _Please no I don’t want to be the one to show him this._

The next, John’s knees hit the ground, and he gives a sudden little gasp.

“Oh,” he says, and then again. _“Oh.”_

“What? What’s wrong?” is what Rose tries to say, but it comes out as, “Grg’bolyb bglu’rgb,” and she can’t quite resist the urge to snarl in frustration. It seems the drawbacks to going grimdark are far more numerous than she originally thought.

(But John responds to her anyway, as if he’s known the language all his life, and that is the first warning sign.)

“Nothing,” he says, and the tone of his voice is just as light and cheerful as always. “Or, well… not exactly wrong, anyway.” He pauses, head cocked to the side. “Hum. I find the limitations of this language rather frustrating.”

(His syntax is different, though, clipped and formal, and she should realize something’s wrong, should know that this is not right.)

“Huh?” Rose demands in the stilted growls of the horrorterrors. Not her most eloquent of sentences by a long shot, but she feels as though that is understandable given present circumstances.

John slowly pushes himself back up to his feet, smiling at her as he does.

(And there, that too is fearsome, because his smile is not John’s smile. It is far too stretched and far too toothy, vicious and alien and monstrous.)

Foreboding washes through Rose’s body, because _this is not John._

“Oh, I’m just being pedantic,” the thing that a second ago was her friend says as it pushes its glasses back up its nose. “It’s just… while certainly understandable, given how unique my present circumstances are, I do find it rather frustrating that the language you call rather flatteringly call English-" The being chuckles at that. "-has no word defining ‘The process of allowing one’s true personality to reassert itself over the construct one created to interact with the world while one was imprisoned deep within one’s own soul.’ I’m sure you can understand my feelings, given your own linguistic difficulties.”

Rose isn’t quite sure what’s going on, but she has a theory and she doesn't like where this is going. She’s fumbling desperately (uselessly) for her twin wands even as the being that wears John’s body reaches out for a friendly handshake.

“I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself, by the way,” it says. “How rude of me. You may call me Lord English. A mere title, of course, purely a formality, but one I am rather fond of despite myself.”

 _Does he really think that smile is charming?_ Rose wonders with a shudder.

Reality itself warps around her as she gathers dark energy, a mix of fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Ah." Lord English smiles sadly at her as it pulls back its hand. "I find myself rather unimpressed by your lack of manners, child. But, hrm, perhaps you have a point- I cannot honestly say that I'm in the mood to exchange pleasentries right now either."

Rose ignores him, focusing completely on drawing her power into her and through her while trying not to think about the fact that John is somewhere inside the being she is about to fight.

 _Okay,_ Rose thinks, shifting into a battle ready position. _Perhaps I can do this._

There has to be some way to fix this, if only she can disable (disable it? how?) it long enough to-

A split second later, a sharp pain rips through her side.

She screams as she drops to her knees. Her hands wrap around her stomach, trying to staunch the flow of blood, but her shirt is soaked through and sticky and Rose can tell that her efforts are useless.

“Now,” Lord English says, giving her a little bow. “I apologize for my sudden departure, but I really must be going. I have a coat to pick up and a universe to end, you know.”

And then it is gone, as if it was never there at all, and Rose is left to bleed out on the floor.

**Author's Note:**

> Um. I'm not exactly sure what prompted me to right this, except for the vague idea that it might be interesting. This sort of hinges on Lord Scratch managing to off himself early, but I haven't really thought about what the catalyst for that would be, so. I'm also a little worried about my Rose- her voice is hard to get right.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
